A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
1. Field of the Invention (Technical Field)
The present invention relates to jewelry for displaying rotatable, interchangeable objects, such as beads. The invention utilizes a unique mechanism for changing the objects. The present invention is also a method for changing a decorative object in a piece of jewelry.
2. Background Art
Jewelry has always been considered an important element of a well-dressed individual, reflecting the personality and taste of the wearer. Due to the often significant expense involved in acquiring jewelry pieces, however, many individuals have necessarily limited their own collection to a few pieces. Such pieces may become outdated, or no longer coordinate with the wearer""s wardrobe.
Another area that allows a person to express their individuality is the avocation of bead collecting. The increasing popularity of this field has led to the desire for novel ways to display beads. Jewelry is perfectly suited for display of beads, as the particular piece can often enhance the appearance of the selected bead. Interchangeability in such items of jewelry is very desirable in order to allow the wearer to change the particular bead or beads displayed.
Others in the past developed various jewelry pieces that allow for more than one displayed ornament or gem. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,669,241, to Kohl, entitled Hinged Finger Ring; U.S. Pat. No. 5,428,974, to Shinohara, entitled Ornament; U.S. Pat. No. 5,353,608, to Berkowitz, entitled Multi-Use Jewelry Piece; U.S. Pat. No. 4,726,200, to Carter, entitled Combination Ring Pendant; U.S. Pat. No. 1,792,534, to Germain, entitled Article of Jewelry; and U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,585,183 and 1,553,198, both to Stern and entitled Jewelry, all disclose a fixed pair or multiple gems or stones that can be interchangeably displayed, either via a hinged set of rings/pendants or a pivotable/reversible setting.
Other patents disclosed various items of jewelry with interchangeable gems or stones. These include the following: U.S. Pat. No. 5,228,317, to Hendricks, entitled Gem Changer Ring; U.S. Pat. No. 4,080,803, to Suzuki, entitled Jewelry Article with Selectively Visible Portions; U.S. Pat. No. 792,334, to Levy, entitled Finger Ring; U.S. Pat. No. 922,212, to Tropin, entitled Jewelry; U.S. Pat. No. 685,044, to Haussmann, entitled Jewelry; U.S. Pat. No. 4,977,757, to Mesica, entitled Jewelry with Rotatable Ornamentation; U.S. Pat. No. 4,879,882, to Johnson, entitled Jewelry with Interchangeable Elements; U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,176, to Lichtenstein, entitled Earring Assembly with Removable Ornaments; U.S. Pat. No. 4,430,869, to Zinni, entitled Pendant Frame with Retained Elements; U.S. Pat. No. 4,353,225, to Rogers, entitled Jewelry for Animals; U.S. Pat. No. 4,259,850, to Lalieu, entitled Earring with Selectable Decorative Element; and U.S. Pat. No. 1,710,734, to Johnson, entitled Pendant. 
The prior art delineated above shares the common feature of lack of a stable and secure closure mechanism. The need for a mechanism that allows easy interchangeability, but resists breakage due to forcing or overuse, prompted the development of the present invention.
The present invention is an apparatus for displaying ornaments or beads.
It successfully addresses the problems encountered with the wear and tear that results from repeatedly changing the ornament, through the use of a novel twisting and sliding catch mechanism. The construction of the present invention results in jewelry pieces that allow interchangeability of displayed beads in an attractive setting, while decreasing the risk of breakage of the holder and subsequent loss of the displayed beads.
A preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a jewelry apparatus for interchangeably displaying ornaments, the apparatus comprising a retainer, a catch slidably and rotatably inserted into the retainer, and a shaft for interchangeably receiving and holding the ornaments and allowing the ornaments to rotate around the shaft, the shaft positionally disposed in the retainer by the catch. The retainer preferably comprises an egg-shaped, spherical or square shape, and preferably comprises a J-shaped groove vertically situated within the retainer. The retainer preferably opens via a tunnel extending downward from the J-shaped groove and a tunnel extending sideways opposite the J-shaped groove. In a preferred embodiment, the retainer further comprises a connector affixed to a lower end of the retainer, and a spindle holder affixed to a lower end of the connector.
In a preferred embodiment, the catch comprises a substantially inverted T-shaped device, and preferably comprises a decorative holder for a display device comprising a rope, a string, or a chain. The catch preferably comprises a J-shaped groove positionally sideways in the T-shaped device, further comprises an indent opposite the J-shaped groove, and preferably further comprises an eyelet on one end of the inverted T-shape.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the shaft comprises a knob at one end of the shaft, and a stop at an opposite end of the shaft. Preferably the shaft comprises a solid cylinder.
In an alternative embodiment, the retainer comprises a first ring section, the shaft comprises a spindle affixed to the first ring section, and the catch comprises a second ring section rotatably and slidably moveable around the spindle. Preferably, the first ring section comprises a display arm extending upward from the ring section and holding the spindle, and the second ring section comprises a spindle retainer arm and a second display arm. In a preferred embodiment, the spindle retainer arm comprises an upper end having a slot for receiving the spindle, and preferably the second display arm comprises an indent for receiving an end of the spindle. The first ring section preferably comprises a tab on the ring section, and the second ring section preferably comprises a notch corresponding to the tab.
The present invention also comprises a method for interchangeably displaying at least one rotatable ornament on a jewelry piece comprising a catch, a shaft and a retainer, the method comprising the steps of rotating the catch downward in the retainer, sliding the catch sideways out of the retainer, threading at least one ornament on the shaft, and replacing the catch in the retainer. Preferably, after sliding the catch sideways out of the retainer, at least one ornament is removed from the shaft. In a preferred embodiment, the catch comprising a T-shaped device having a substantially J-shaped groove is rotated downward in the retainer, and more preferably rotated downward in a J-shaped groove in the retainer. In a preferred embodiment, after the catch is slid sideways out of the retainer, the shaft is partially removed from the retainer. Preferably the shaft comprising a knob is partially removed from a lower end of the retainer, and more preferably a straight shaft is partially removed from an upper end of the retainer. Preferably the catch comprising a J-shaped groove is replaced positionally around a knob of the shaft.
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, a first ring section is rotated downward and around a spindle directionally away from a second ring section; the first ring section is slid laterally away from the second ring section along the spindle; at least one ornament is threaded upon the spindle; and the first and second ring sections are reassembled. Preferably the first ring section is slid away from the second ring section comprising a spindle retainer arm and a second display arm, and is slid away from a spindle retainer arm upper end having a slot for receiving the spindle.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a jewelry piece that allows for sturdy yet facile interchangeability of the ornament.
Another object of the present invention is to provide jewelry pieces which may be used to display assorted beads.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a distinct presentation of beads.
A primary advantage of the present invention is the presentation of beads on a spindle having a retaining mechanism that resists breakage.
Another advantage of the present invention is the ability to display beads of different shapes and sizes by changing the spindle.
Other objects, advantages and novel features, and further scope of applicability of the present invention will be set forth in part in the detailed description to follow, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.